Indians manger Terry Francona is pumped for 2014 season

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2013, file photo, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona answers questions during news conference before practice for the American League wild-card baseball game in Cleveland. Francona was named the AL manager of the year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)

He’s tanned, he’s rested and he’s ready.
“Nobody around here is pounding their chest saying we’re the ’27 Yankees,” said Terry Francona. “But I like the guys we have on our team.”
The Indians manager is in town for the three-day Tribe Fest that begins Friday at Progressive Field. With spring training just around the corner, hope is already springing eternal for the 2013 American League Manager of the Year.
“This is the best time of the year because nothing has gone wrong yet,” Francona said.
A lot went right for the Indians and their manager last season. The Tribe went stampeding down the stretch, winning 21 of 26 games in September, including the last 10 in a row, which allowed them to finish with a record of 92-70, while clinching the No. 1 wild-card seed, the Indians’ first trip to the postseason in six years.
It was a rags to riches season for the Indians, who went from losing 94 games in 2012 to winning 92 in 2013.
“I just wanted us to get to September with a chance to make a run because I really liked our team,” Francona said. “I didn’t know we would have to win the last 10 in a row, but nobody else was losing, so we had to win 10 in a row.”
In the playoffs, the Indians lost one in a row, getting eliminated by Tampa Bay in the wild-card game.
“Baseball seasons don’t wind down, they come to a crashing halt, and that was evidence of it last year for us,” Francona said. “That loss stung more than I expected.”
With the start of spring training now less than a month away, Francona has re-charged his baseball battery, and even though the Indians haven’t been very busy this offseason in the player acquisition department, Francona says he’s OK with that.
“I think we’re pretty settled,” he said. “If we were going to spring training tomorrow, I’m fine with what we have.”
To last year’s playoff team, the Indians have added outfielder David Murphy and relievers John Axford and Josh Outman. They have subtracted pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, Joe Smith, Matt Albers, Rich Hill and Chris Perez and outfielder Drew Stubbs.
Jimenez, who remains unsigned as a free agent, could conceivably re-sign with the Indians, but the Indians have spent very carefully during this offseason, especially on the pitching staff.
“If you look at the dollars we can allocate towards pitching — we’d rather see our own guys pitch,” Francona said. “I’m anxious to see guys like Corey Kluber and Danny Salazar for a full season.”
That will be a theme for the pitching staff in spring training as the Indians try to re-work their bullpen and tinker with their starting rotation, most of it coming from within.
One of the most intriguing changes will be Salazar replacing Kazmir in the starting rotation. Salazar excited everyone during his 10-start late-season audition with the team last year.
In 2014, the Indians will have Salazar for a full season.
“The sky is the limit for Danny. I can’t wait to see what he can do in 34 starts,” Francona said.
The challenge for the Indians in 2014 will be to prove that 2013 wasn’t a fluke, and that this team is a playoff contender that has some staying power.
They made the big jump from 2012 to 2013 by increasing their win total by 24 — from 68 wins to 92. The next jump will not be easy.
“Going from 92 wins to 95 wins is really hard,” Francona said. “Especially with everyone signing with the American League. I wish some of these (free agents) would go to the National League.”